Blogs

There are bumps and bruises, I am sure – Derek Anderson owns a handful, I’d guess – but the last thing the Cards wanted to come out Sunday’s loss was injury to go with their insult. This team avoided the road blowouts last year. Didn’t happen this year.

But that’s the thing today. Are the Cards going to make this a fluky weekend? Or is there a chance we are going to see this again? The Cards want to believe the former. They will get a chance to prove it.

— I’ll be honest – with the Cards’ defensive line, I didn’t think they could get torn up on the ground the way they did. What was more surprising is that once Michael Turner got hurt, Jason Snelling – essentially the Falcons’ third-string back – piled up the yards. Obviously, that can’t happen. Neither Calais Campbell or Darnell Dockett were their normal disruptive selves. The tackling by the defense wasn’t the best either.

— Of the eight third-down instances the Cards had Sunday – they didn’t convert any – three were needing double-digit yards: 14 (an 11-yard pass to tight end Ben Patrick), 11 (incomplete) and 16 (incomplete). The other five instances were shorter – two of six yards, four yards, three yards, and one yard (one interception and four incompletions).

”It was probably a bunch of everything,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We had some mistakes on the routes, we didn’t protect as well as we needed to at times, and we didn’t make some throws. It’s an area we have been pretty good. We will continue to work at it.”

— Anderson took a few more hellacious hits. The Cards know that’s going to keep coming, but it’s hard to think he’s going to be able to last the season at this rate. He’s incredibly tough – he proven that already – but the human body is what it is. Opposing teams are going to blitz until they get burned through the air.

— The penalties were obviously a major story – some were poor decisions or errors by the Cards, some were just hard to understand on who or why they were called. No one Card may have been affected by the officials more than LaRod Stephens-Howling. The Hyphen not only lost out on his 98-yard touchdown (let me know when you find out who actually did the hold), but later in the game, LSH wasn’t totally sure he could come out of the end zone. He looked over to the official, who shook his head, and Stephens-Howling took that to mean he couldn’t stay in the end zone.

— The one bright spot was Tim Hightower. It’s funny; when Beanie Wells was drafted, there was a lot of talk about how Wells finally gave the Cards a back who could take it to the house. Well, in the Cards’ last three games Hightower has a 70-yard TD run and an 80-yard TD run.

— Anderson still completed only 55 percent of his passes, but at least he and Larry Fitzgerald had better cohesion – seven catches, many as Fitz got loose in the middle. Max Hall got his first chance and had a welcome-to-the-NFL moment with an interception on his second pass. The Cards have long felt Hall isn’t ready yet; he may turn into a solid NFL QB but he’s not a savior. Rookie quarterbacks never are.

150 Responses
to “Falcons aftermath”

now that us Cardinals fans have seen that Anderson and Hall aren’t the saviors we thought they were… JOHN SKELTON FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!! all joking set aside though, we need to take a chance and put Komar on the PS (i dont think anybody would touch him after his performance against the Rams) and swoop Leftwich up before Pittsburgh does. im not saying start the guy, but an undrafted rookie as a back up to a qb thats taking a lot of shots is scaring the hell out of me. hes been in the Pittsburgh offense (which is the same style Whisenhunt runs), hes a big guy with a cannon arm (the kind of quarterback Whisenhunt likes), and would make me way less nervous when Anderson is slow to get up after getting brutalized. 2 questions here Darren, do you a.) think this is a good idea? and b.) think there is a chance of it happening?

The loss was disappointing, but honestly, I was more disappointed in the defense. I expected shakiness and errant throws from Anderson against a Falcon’s defense considering the major changes on offense, but, our defense has seemed during this off-season and pre-season to be very strong. We seemed as if we could not stop the run whether it was ran straight into the line or bounced out to the edges.

Hoping we learn a lot from this tape and apply it to the remaining games. Anderson needs better protection and hopefully it comes quickly.. but he also needs to get that cannon under a little more control. Hope our staff can help him out.

This one was brutal, the penalties was bad but some of them I was wondering if there was someone being paid off like the NBA official?
Haggans blow to the head shouldnt have been called and the kick off return must have be done by a ghost or something?
But regardless, I was shocked the D line got pushed around all day!
OT Keith is clearly struggling at times, I hope this was a wake up call? I think we may have more growing pains to come? Max better start learning the offense pretty quick cause DA wont be able to take that much more hits.

I know coaches and players will be timid. I know it was a bad outing, but behind closed doors, watching film (if you have to guess that will suffice), do coaches acknowledge to players that “X” call was bullsh^t? I appreciate you saying what you said in the article. I especially liked the reference to Dockett. I remember years ago they called a penalty on someone that was off the field. My biggest fear is that the refs start treating us like they did back in the day. So yeah, will coaches acknowledge to players that they were robbed in certain areas, and do you think there is a chance that the overall reffing goes back to what it used to be?

Darren, do you think there is a chance of Max Hall starting anytime soon? Anderson didn’t look any better last week than he did today, I feel like he is not capable of getting the job done. Every time I watch him it looks sketchy the way he handles things, and if you cant hook up with Fitzgerald, thats a big problem. Max Hall can run, he is harder to sack, and he looked very accurate in the pre-season. The pick he threw today was a desperate dart to Fitz, I would of attempted the same thing if I were him. I am sure a lot of other Card fans would like to see the same, what are your thoughts?

Darren, even if Kurt Warner had been in there the outcome might have been the same as Cards looked undisciplined and sloppy. Despite the defensive problems that cropped up in the game I’m still mainly concerned about our QB situation and how that will play out this season.

Well one thing we can take from this is that we need to step up against the good teams. However, we should all remember that we have seen these days from the Kurt Warner Cardinals as well, and they always bounced back. The main things that need to change are losing the penalties, and getting more gelling on offense. Last year we struggled with the gelling in the beginning and it was fixed after the bye week. In this division, if we can come out 2-3 going into the bye week, we’re actually in fairly good position since we’re playing 3 playoff teams in the beginning 5 weeks, but only 2 in the other 11. So, the main thing is getting a win against the Oakland Raiders in the opener this weekend, and then trying to have one of our infamous, “Shock the World” games either against SD or NO. Don’t lose faith Cardinals fans, because these are losses we will learn from just like we have every year with Whisenhunt. RISE UP RED SEA!

Darren,
I agree with you, it is hard to see why they ran so well on us with the line we have, also with the defense we have. I think there is a very evident problem.

Here is what i think the problem is. I really like bill davis, he is a great position coach, but he is not a great defensive coach. His defensive game planning and play calling are just plain bad.(sometimes it is good but it’s way too inconsistent) He is not going to cut it and I think he will be gone within this year. Write that down. ha.

What is your opinion on this? Is there any inside rumblings regarding this? There had to be at least a little, especially from the 95 points in two games last year.

In all, I think we are going to be fine but there are going to be a lot more ups and downs. I am a big fan of roller coasters so I think i will be able to handle it.

We NEED a new defensive coordinator. Just like New Orleans last year, Hightower makes a game changing TD run of 80 yards. Instead of stepping up their game, the defense lets down and allows a score on the very next possesion. They’re soft, can’t stop a third string RB and can’t make a play when the game is on the line. Maybe Dockett should tweet a little less and study some game film a little more. Who’s the leader on this defense???? Washington??? How does a rookie have more tackles than A-dub, Dockett, Campbell.

1. Embarrassing (actually disgusting display) but not quite as much after seeing the NY Giants get their backsides handed to them as well..
2. Did all AZ football teams make a pact to see who could have the most ridiculous penalties this weekend??? (that includes my beloved UA)
3. The Cards NEVER showed up today except for The Hyphen (as always) and TH-that guy impresses me more and more (now a home run threat) and if Beanie ever expects to be the starter, he has A LOT of work ahead.
4. Many players need to stop believing the hype about themselves (DRC anyone?)-I liked the hit by Toler, by the way-keep it up kid….
5. I hope this stops all those fans who always cry about not getting respect etc..u don’t lose your moniker as a loser by a COUPLE of successful seasons. Only thing that removes those bad memories is winning-JUST WIN.

What do you think the Cards will do in regards to the QB situation after this year? I ask because with Derek Anderson at QB we can write off winning a playoff game and most likely winning the division. With a even somewhat competent QB we would probably crush this division but DA and his 54% completion percentage are a lost cause and a band aid to cover the stupidity exercised by the Cards front office and Whiz in handling the QB situation post
Warner. We obviously have other problems on the team but DA is simply not a solid starting NFL QB.

Is Mike Vick a viable option or do you think the Cards will look to draft a QB in the 1st or 2nd round?

And yeah yeah yeah…I know its still earlier in the season, Whiz trusts Anderson to improve, blah blah blah. Every single Cards fan knows that with DA at QB we are at best a mediocre team that will only make the playoffs because we play in the NFC West. Even you know it to be true.

We’ll still root for a miracle and a great run to try and win the division but 2011 and beyond is where any real hope for a good team lies.

hope you and our Cards had a safe trip back home , with our derailment today I hope it was a quik trip home , just a quik deal I want to comment on and ask after this game, I agreed with the moves Whizzy has made , transitions will always be, the players we lost , the ones we got , which I have said before I really like , I know there were alot of things that went on today , I have held back on commenting , trying to accept and support our new QB , hoping my feelings and thoughts were wrong , but after today I have to say we got better with the exception of DA . I like that he did play in the Pac, the west , Cool , but he is also so eradic ,[ I write and spell like he plays ] I see this team playing to the demeanor he brings,, the guys have embraced him , his play and it shows , we will win a few games with his leadership , but I think it has really caused us to lose what has been built in the last couple of years , I think I know what you will say but , do you feel or have you heard if Whiz really thinks he can build around DA , does he really want to waste a couple of years waiting for the young guys , or will he look to find a QB that will fit us better

We’ve been thoroughly out coached this week & last week, it also happened to us quite a bit last year, but having Warner behind center saved Whiz quite a bit & made him look like a better coach than he is! It’s amazing to me that no one will even discuss Whiz’s bad coaching, from how he handled the quarterback situation this year & also when Kurt was here. Who the heck in their right mind would have a quarterback controversy between Warner & Leinart & be called a genius???? Then you wait until a week before the season starts to realize that Leinart’s not your guy this year, where the heck has he been for the last 4yrs not to notice this?? That decision should’ve been made long, long ago!! Then you leave Marc Bulger & Donavan McNabb on the market knowing that Anderson is a career 52% passer! Then let’s discuss how this team was not prepared to play this week or last week…Then we’re told he picked Anderson because he can get the ball down the field, when he has him mostly throwing short to intermediate crap! I’m not even a Leinart fan, but if that’s what your plan is go with the guy who dinks & dunks better!!! Yes, the refs blew a few calls today which killed momentum, but lets’ face it Whiz is definitely no genius & he will be exposed more & more as this year goes on!

As you mentioned Darren. I really thought the defensive line was the strength of this team. Docket has not looked that good in either of the first two games however. To get run over like that is really discouraging and maybe Gabe Watson will be active next week and can help. The penalties that they are taking the last two games show a lack of disciplline and the turnovers are killing the team. TheI offensive line seems ok at run blocking but, are not that good at pass protection. I know you have talked about how tough Derek Anderson is but obviously has not been that great.

when will you or the coaches finally admit that our O-Line looks terrible?! All I read here is about Derek and the WRs, but the blame here goes solely on this terrible front 5. It’s obvious to see that Kurt made them look a lot better than they were with his quick release and decision making. Levi is a total bust as a top 5 pick, he can’t block a speed rusher to save his life. Faneca is clearly over the hill and can’t do that either. On one play they combined to block a DE and he still got to Derek and forced a fumble (Levi recovered it I think). The worst has to be Grimm’s project Keith though, he doesn’t deserve to be on an NFL roster at this point in time. He gets beat like a drumroll by rookies and average pass-rushers. Sure, maybe they get better with time together, but it’s a testiment to their inability when Deuce is outplaying them even though he missed almost all of the offseason.
When will Jeremy Bridges finally start and how can any of our QBs survive this year with that pathetic excuse of an offensive line? As a longtime Cardinals fan who always tries to see the bright sight, I can’t see us win more than 6 games with this type of protection for our QBs. What’s your take?

Darren,
The officiating was only part of the issue. We couldn’t stop the run. We couldn’t tackle. We deserved to lose.
That being said the penalties took us out of the game mentally. There were two holds on Lenon on consecutive plays that were uncalled, the foul on Toler was not a penalty, his feet never left the ground and he hit the guy with his shoulder and forearm in his shoulder (the reciever had his head down, making the hit look worse).
As a fan I felt helpless and lost as what we could do to right the ship. Even the announcers on fox were dumbfounded by all the flags. Games like this are unwatchable and as a player you feel helpless and like you’re walking on eggshells.
THANK GOD WE HAVE THE RAIDERS AT HOME NEXT!!

Is Derek Anderson the kind of person/player that will look back on this game either tomorrow or next season, and says, “ahhh man, i stunk up that field…” and gets discouraged, or does he say, “I didn’t do well obviously, but I WILL do better!” and uses it for motivation in practice and on the field next week?
I ask because I really don’t know the identity of this guy. Kurt Warner was obviously the ladder, and apparently Matt Leinart was the former (at least that’s the vibe I got from him when he went to the media), but what is Derek Anderson?

1) WHY WERE THEY IN THE SHOWER LAUGHING AFTER GETTING BLOWN OFF THE MAP?
2) DID WHIZ GAME PLAN?
3) WHY DOES DAVIS HAVE THE DBs playing 50 yards off the WR especially on 3rd and 4,5 or what have you?
4) Is Brandon Keith going to continue to start?
5) Is Russ Grimm going to help his group get better?
6) ARE WE LOOKING AT BRINGING IN ANOTHER QB? TRADE FOR SOMEONE

I was at the game and I have to say that I was very disappointed with the Cards effort… there was no passion or emotion from anyone on the Cardinals… when the ‘D’ gave up a big play they all just kinda looked around as if to say “oh well we’ll try on the next play”… I sure hope they bring a TON more passion and energy in at home v. the Raiders otherwise it’s going to be a very long season…

This was awful to watch. I was done in the 3rd quarter. And there is no way the Cardinals commited ALL those penalties. That ref, Jerome Boger, has made every B.S. call against the Cards for the last 2 years. Other than that, WHERE WAS THE DEFENSIVE LINE!! It got owned by a backup running back.

Where was Darnell Dockett? He wanted to get paid, now it’s time to deliver on the field. I hope he make it worth. HE HAS TO, no escuses.

I saw a lot of people talking bout how the defense couldn’t afford to be on the field so often, but I didn’t remember one occasion in which I saw a defense at all. I doubt it it showed up after I quit watching (I quit by the end of the 1st quarter). The d-line has no pressure at all, the blitzes are so weak, it doesn’t look like a NFL team. And we have good players…

I got very upset with the flags, specially the stupid ones. That’s unnaceptable for a team that made the Superbowl 2 seasons ago.

Overall, I don’t want to hear appologies from the players, I want them to act like men and take the blame for the shame this game was.

I am as big of a “homer” as anyone, but somehow (other than Hightower) the word PATHETIC keeps coming to mind. Lots and lots of work to do, but I still think we will come around. Hard to feel that way after yesterday tho, I must admit.

So the team didn’t SNAP when Matt was in there…..you know the intangibles….see how CRISP they were yesterday with DA in there…..obvious, eh? Matt was run out of town for THAT?
FIX IT! Start with the O-Line, and the only fix is a change in coaching and a change in drafting. Cards will always be looking for a miracle until they fix the O-line First. Whether it is TALENT, SCHEME, TECHNIQUE, something else….to be consistently good the O-Line needs a ton of work. Cassell did well Behind the PATS O-Line, Brady took over for Bledsole and won a Super-Bowl with a Great O-Line already in place. Whatever the Pats do with an O-Line the Cards NEED a LOT of that.
I don’t know how long that should/will take, but I think Whiz did Matt a favor in that whoever the QB is until it is done…….Has NO CHANCE…..and may not be in the League Long.

What a mess. Got lucky last week. Got their hats handed to them this week. Defense was terrible. Offense even worse. Although this did not rest solely on the quarterback, how sad that the best thing one can say about his play is how tough he is. Good teams adjust, bad teams collect yellow flags. They were unprepared and that falls on the coaching staff.

Well that was a dressing down.
I don’t think I’m as impressed with Hightower as you are Darren (or perhaps you’re not). 11 for 115. 1=80yards + 1=14yards = 9 carries for 21 yards. I guess well done for the 80 yarder though.
Protection was poor, especially at the Tackle positions.

Well…thats two games in a row the cards got boned by the refs, i’m thinking this is gonna be a pattern all year, as for anderson, wow, that was pretty bad, whether it was the hits or whatever it was, pretty bad game on his part, O-line didnt help him much, but im sure there are worse lines in the nfl, qb has to do his job, and he didn’t do it. I remember on the greg toler penalty the announcers said he ‘clearly launched into the reciever’ yet the replays show he never left his feet….these announcers were just as bad as last week, greg toler changed teams like 3 or 4 teams…

I don’t understand how a professional can pick up a pay check after going on the field and performing in the fashion of our players. The sole bright spot, Tim’s 115 yards rushing, wasn’t even a bright spot once you break it down. Take out that one 80 yard run and he only averaged 3.5 yards per carry. Steelers West?…please.

I am tired of hearing the coaches say the will “flush this game.” If you don’t learn from the past you are doomed to repeat it, i.e. Philly 08 and New England 08, and now ATL 2010. These guys looked like little kids playing against grown men. And DRC is overhyped, you always hear about how good he CAN be, sounds like the NFL version of Justin Upton.

Whiz is on a “honeymoon” because Warner got him to the Superbowl. But let’s be realistic:
In his 4th year, Whiz :
1) has not developed a tight end
2) was slow to make a determination on Leinart costing the Cards dearly at QB

Some observations on the defense:
1) Dockett can’t do it alone
2) D. Washington is already the top defensive player
3) A-dub disappears against good QBs.
4) Cambell is overrated
5) Haggans, and Porter are poor against the run.-both should be platooned
6) DRC is overrated and a poor tackler
7) Gabe should play -he creates emotion

One good move was getting rid of Antrel. I watched him last night and he still can’t tackle- he spent the night patting the Colts on the duff after they ran him over. Rhodes is not much better but Antrel is a joke..

How long is EA gonna stay with us? And when do we hit the panic button, or should we start to concide all our losses. He gets allittle bit of pressure and cant make a throw. There were at least 3 chances when he got pressure, and threw errant throws. Toughness is that all that is keeping him in the starting lineup, WE NEED A QB!!!! Hall is not the answer. Well i guess well see how many more hits and errant throws anderson can make on sunday against the raiders. This season looks an awful lot like the 08 season of the browns, Romeo had the sense to bench him.

Darren,
Rough outing, from what I gather it seems Max Hall isn’t the only one who isn’t NFL ready, our starting RT definitely has ALOT of ground to cover as far as even being starter material in the NFL. Hopefully this loss will shock the team into perhaps focusing a bit more and working a bit harder. I keep hearing all these things about how you can’t expect another Warner out of Anderson, however what are DA’s habits? Is he showing up first and last the leave the training facility? Is he shooting texts to Whiz at night asking him if they can run a certain play? Is he staying after practice to work with Chris Miller(the QB coach) to improve his accuracy? This town embraces winners and this team rewards them(last time i checked the $19 mil Warner got for 1 year was more than DA got for 2). Seems to me that any one of the QBs could adopt those habits Warner had and improve themselves. What do you think Darren?

I’m not expecting Hall to be a rookie QB savior for the Cards and don’t expect him to start this year with Whiz as coach, but very recent rookies Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco (the first rookie quarterback in league history to win two playoff games), and Mark Sanchez (the second rookie quarterback in league history to win two playoff games) all were good enough to get their teams to the playoffs with a legit shot to win the Super Bowl in their rookie seasons. Flacco and Sanchez were one win away from the Super Bowl as rookies.

Were the rookies natural-born leaders above good enough to command the respect of their teammates and give their teams a chance to get to the Super Bowl – absolutely. Franchise saviors – not yet. Rookie-season saints – yes. “Gifts from heaven” – yes.

And then there is some guy named, “Ben Roethlisberger,” who earned the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history during his second season.

Hall will start when Whiz thinks he’s ready. But to say rookie QBs have never played a phenomenal role in their team’s success comes across as plain dumb in the light of recent history.

Hey Darren,
what do you think about us trading for Micheal Vick, Andy Reid does not want a QB controversy and i think he could be a good fir for us, and give us 2 different dynamics. I dont see anything wrong with his passing game, he was dead on accurate be it the lions.

After the Cards Super Bowl I felt the NFL was rigged, after this game i know it is. The league wants certain teams to win and others to fail for various reasons, like boosting moral is hard hit areas or large money market success. It is B S that officials can control the flow and outcome of these games, but i did appreciate how the refs called a bunch of meaningless penalties on Atlanta at the end of the game so the penalties would not look so lopsided on paper. I have an idea, DON KING for commissioner.

The referee’s were not the reason the Cardinals lost this game. They lost this game cause the Falcons played 10x better, while the Cardinals played their old style ball, which is irritating considering how far they’d come. Although, the referree’s did make this game that much more frustrating and irritating to watch. They effectively neutered the Cardinals. Seems like just about every big play or big hit the Cardinals had, they were called on it. I’m not sure how the referee groups work, but it seems to me like I’ve seen this head ref, and his band of merry men, be flag happy in past games also. I agree with you, Darren. There were some legitimate calls (like there are in every game), but there were some very, very difficult calls to swallow. I’m not sure how any teams could be guilty of as many penalties as the Cardinals supposedly were in such a short amount time. It was crazy.

But all that being said, the Cards started slow last year also. So let’s hope they can get their problems figured out soon….

all interviews everyone is talking about the bad game against atlanta, what about the terrible game in
st. louis yeah a win but terrible play. teams got issues and where is accountability. its only week two
yeah we are still in it. we play in a weak division
but we want to earn the division not the other teams hand it to us. GET IT TOGETHER CARDS!

Tim’s big 80-yard run was electrifying, and he’s proven to be a threat to take it the distance anytime he touches the ball. I think he could use some help back there however. As the lone starter, he can’t shoulder the load alone. Minus the 80-yard TD, Tim had 10 carries for 35 yards for 3.5 yard/rush average.

Hopefully Beanie gets better sooner than later. It’s hard to imagine the Cards of this past weekend (i.e. sans-Beanie) having a serious chance to beat San Diego and New Orleans in weeks four and five, which makes a win this weekend against Oakland a must. But then again, that’s why they play the game.

I believe that if you give Max Hall the reps in practice like hes the starter and don’t stick him in a situation where your team is down by 30 pts, he will play better than derek anderson. The ball comes out so much quicker with Hall back there.

Thoughts on the game……

Defense – awful, just awful. It was embarrassing to watch you guys play and give up so many rush yards. I know in a 3-4 defense the linebackers have to make plays, it appears other than Haggans no one else can.
Maybe its time we go back to the 4-3 since we have so much depth and skill at the d-line positions?

Hightower – good game, i have such a love/hate relationship with you. Until you can have 3 decent games in a row without a turnover i’m still not a believer.

Derek Anderson – Ok we know you can only complete 50% of your passes but the way our recievers have to catch the ball behind them, reaching up high or down at their legs…your going to get them hurt Derek. I’m wondering, can you even hit a receiver in stride?

The Referees – Are guys just throwing your flags because you like to see yellow hankies in the air? Talk about some phantom calls for both teams! Can the players please the determine the outcome of games and you girls check your egos at the door?

I think all avenues are open. A savior is not walking through the door this season. So letting the season play out will dictate a lot. The coaches will have a year to evaluate Hall and Skelton in practice for the future and we don’t even know what QBs will be available in the draft.

The line doesn’t seem to be playing well overall, although I will be honest, I haven’t had the time to break down how they have played. I know opponents are bringing a heck of a lot of blitzes, so that doesn’t help. As for Bridges, I don’t know when or if he will play.

Take a look at many of the running backs around the league. Many build good games on one or two big runs. That’s how it works. You don’t get to say, “Well, take away the 80-yarder and he wasn’t very good.” Just like you can’t say as a defense, “Oh, take away that 72-yard pass and that 59-yard run and we played well.” Those big plays count.

I don’t know if anyone around here is like Warner was in that regard. I haven’t heard anything negative in that area. But again, leadership and work habits are great as long as you have the ability to do it on the field. Anderson is still trying to show that.

You just named four QBs drafted in the first round. Hall was undrafted. Say what you want, but there is a reason Hall was undrafted. Oh, and three of the four teams you mentioned had top three defenses in the NFL. The Cards aren’t there either. I’d argue, in fact, that, especially in Sanchez’s case, that his team advanced to where they did in spite of him, not because of him.

So are you saying that coach Whisenhut went all or nothing with Dereck Anderson this year. If they knew the rookie couldn’t come in and take over why put one as as back-up…that makes no sense Darren and you know it.

Whisenhut has his hands full having to convert a 50% passer into 60% passer on the fly. Working with a back in hightower who gets half the carries as most backs but still manage to have the second highest number of fumbles in the league last year. A offense of line were you have new players, player switching sides and last years backup moving up to starter. Thats to much to over come in a few games.

The call I really questioned was the personal foul on Toller. Greg stood his ground and the ball carrier crumbled like an aluminum can. It was a solid hit but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what made it a personal foul. The DRC call could have just as easily been an offensive interference. With Fitz not being 100% and the lack of depth at WR I am scared to death seeing Breaston returning punts. If it wasn’t the Cardinals the Howling’s tippy toeing the line and looking to the ref for guidance would have been the funniest play of the year. Really disappointed at the conservative play calling, they should have thrown in some no huddles to catch the dirty birds off balance, maybe come out with a Howling wildcat formation (can I copyright that term?) something to mix it up. I always hear about DA’s big arm but did he throw anything deeper than 15 yards all day, I guess the line needs to give him time but, not seeing anything other than cautious vanilla play calling. I loved the block Maui’a used setting up Timmy’s big run, but they don’t seem to use the FB all that much. I also thought Hall should have come in earlier, not to be the savior, and not to create a qb controversy but #3 was obviously beat up and clearly was garbage time, give the kid some reps. Too much punting in the 2nd half, down by 4 td’s you have to go for it and come up with some sort of nasty call to give yourself a shot. The team and the coaches quit on this one don’t think the game would have been any different with Leinart under center.

1-1 after two road games is not the end of the world, and we are still tied for first place. Things could be worse, see Dallas and Minnesota. We get to stay home this week and play a very beatable Oakland squad. I hope the Cards are truly embarrassed by this performance and every single on field employee of the team will not allow it to happen again.

Do this make sense to you….wouldn’t it be nice to have Matt on the team if not only to present a trade package for Micheal Vick. We all know Leinart had value as a back-up and put that with a 3rd rd pick and the Eagles would of jumped on that with the quickness. Oh stop the presses…didn’t we trade Reggie Wells to them for a 6th rd pick, just imagine Reggie Wells, Matt Leinart and maybe a draft pick for Micheal Vick. Andy Reid don’t want qb controversy especially after going with Kolb over Mcnabb and he could of made it look like he was doing Mike Vick a favor by trading and having a chance at being a starter again. So think, Who needed a quilty starting quarterback especially after Warner retired and had the extra personnel to pull off a big trade

Darren,
I’m not sure if you saw my question on billy davis or just ignored it. I understand if it is the latter. Let me reword my question.
From what you write you seem to think the offense will be fine. At this point are you more concerned with the O right now or the D?

To me it seems like billy davis is on the same road as ol’ leinart. Good coach but your judged on many other things than that.

Hey Darren, Penalties were the biggest killer in yesterdays game. It seemed for awhile in that first half there was a flag after every play. The flag on
Hyphen’s TD return was the killer play –it just deflated the whole team. Everything just snowballed from that point on. Were you surprised Atlanta’s
backs did as much damage on the ground against the Card’s???? Especially Snelling???

Anderson didn’t do that bad yesterday. He was constantly under pressure and hurried some throws as well as the WR’s dropped a few. Given time he could have completed 60 %. With all the 3rd & longs due to penalties Atl could sit back and give the short stuff.
The Cards D can’t handle the power game the Falcons run. Atl should get to the post season and could beat anyone if they continue to play like that.

We NEED a . Just like New Orleans last year, Hightower makes a game changing TD run of 80 yards. Instead of stepping up their game, the defense lets down and allows a score on the very next possesion. They’re soft, can’t stop a third string RB and can’t make a play when the game is on the line. Maybe Dockett should tweet a little less and study some game film a little more. Who’s the leader on this defense???? Washington??? How does a rookie have more tackles than A-dub, Dockett, Campbell.

TucsonTim,

I agree with new defensive coordinator and correct me if I’m wrong, did we lose our ’08 defensive coordinator during that years off season. When you can’t counter a game plan when you know whats coming is a sign of incompetence. I know thats a strong word but take a minute and think about it. Folks these are professional people here…they have scouts and ppl to get them what they need to make decisions.

About the rookie Washington, for one the guy is a good tackler, he’s always around the ball and that is something you can’t teach. Second the Falcon went after our LBs….now thats smash mouth football. A game plan can be executed by anyone if it is good enough, Thats why some teams can win with rookie or mediocre quarterbacks and some can’t. But to bad for us that Washington had to make his tackles down field rather then at the line of scrimmage but we have to go back to defensive game planning. When was the last time were you was us not even able to put a hand on the quarterback.

Docket is the leader of the d-line, A-dub the d-backs and porter should be for the LBs. Docket wanted the money and now all eyes are on him.

Hey Darenn,
We should find out who was laughing in the showers after the game and bench them!
Joey Porter’s interpretation of the losing locker room, and whether the lopsided loss could “open a few eyes.”

“Maybe,” he said. “But this is a game we could have won if we play like we’re supposed to. But we didn’t. We got guys laughing in the showers. I don’t know. We win this game if we can control things like we know we can.”

Coach Whiz and the captains better start cracking that whip! Maybe we have too much turn over that the new guys arent getting the message or having the correct mindset?

I mean when the opposing team mercifully kneels down for you knowing you will get the ball back and you are laughing in the showers after the game???
Find out who that is and start making them do grass drills till he cant do it no more and have them do some more just to make sure the message is CLEAR !!!

I don’t know if anyone with any abiility to change things even reads these blogs. However, I just found out that Ian Johnson (Boise State) just got signed to your practice squad. If you guys want to win games you need to give guys like this a chance to show you what they’ve got on Sundays. I have watched this guy play at Boise State, and was really disappointed when he ended up at the Vikings out of college, as they are overflowing with running backs.
Guys like Ian have the work ethic to make those around him want to try harder, and play better. He’s a guy that could improve the whole team. Your QB looks as though he needs him. He would be a real addition, and contributer to getting this team back on track.

Can’t flush the season after 2 games but this is not a good football team. I’ve been a fan since the days in St. Louis, I’ve seen a lot of bad football & sadly I’m seeing it again. Zero 3rd down conversions, horrible run defense, an absurd number of penalties. This in Whiz we trust stuff is bunk! This is a bad football team. Anderson has always been an inaccurate QB & to go into the season with him and two rookies was asking for trouble. We’ve got trouble.

I look at Bulger’s stats especially the last four years and compare them to Anderson’s over the same time period and they are the same guy. Can anyone honestly say this team would be any different with Bulger? I am certain their would be just as much bellyacheing by Cards fans with Bulger. Neither are Kurt Warner

Watching the NBA a few years ago it was obvious the games were fixed. I said it publicly well before it was proven they were. I grew up in Phoenix, when Phoenix was a one dog town. I lived and died with what the Suns. after the referee scandal I have given up on the NBA, haven’t watched a game in three years and won’t give them a dime of my money. I have seen some questionable calls in the NFL, but am yet to think the thing is rigged, if I find out it is, I will probably be done with the NFL too, they are already toeing the line with the labor situation.

Everyone calling for Kurt’s return, I want to remember KW as a winner, look at Brett Favre right now, he is clearly past his prime. Every player has to know when to hang em up. I don’t want to see Kurt turned into a laughing stock, stay retired Kurt. I love you and all but stay classy. No OTAs, no camp no games this season. I don’t think Kurt would be effective anymore. If he had chosen to play this year, great I would love to see him out there, but let’s face it. Kurt Warner is a memory.

IF DA is not the guy, and I am not saying he is or isn’t, who do you bring in? Culpepper? McCown? Ramsey? Lossman? Russell? I don’t see any any hidden gems out there. I think we are clearly in transition but not rebuilding by any stretch we can be a playoff team even with a band aid QB.

Leinart never got a chance, Whiz took too long to recognize Leinart wasn’t the guy. You can’t have it both ways people

Enough about McNabb already! Despite some skills, I am still glad we don’t have conVICKt running the show.

Hopefully playing for the home crowd gets everyone motivated and we get back on track, hope to see the fans and not the haters at the UofP this week. Rise up red sea

Okay so we play the “very beatable Raiders” this weekend…Does anyone seriously think that if we play the way we played on Sunday we’re going to beat anybody? No way! This team has got to be better across the board or we’re in for a long season. I was all for bringing in Anderson as a back up, not as a starter. There is a reason he couldn’t secure the job in Cleveland, he just isn’t very good. He hasn’t looked any better for us.

In response to some comments on here, I think it woul dbe a little pre-mature to sell your season tickets, effectively giving up on the season. Remember, the NFC West is still weak.

If I had a ticket to the Cardinals-Raiders game, I would go and cheer for my team like I always have, and forget about last week. If we see a win, we’ll know this team has some fight left in it. If Arizona plays even a little bit like last week, I’ll be focusing on the Arizona Wildcats for a long while.

I think its rediculous that these players make the money they do, and then laugh it up after a performance like that. Most people in the REAL world would be fired on the spot. I think Cardinal players should forfiet this week’s paycheck, or spend it on some new personal trainers/ coaches.

Do you think in hindsight Whiz is wishing he had kept a somewhat grumpy Leinert as backup so he could make a change at at least complete 10-15 yard passes?
Or did Whiz think he was that awful? Why didn’t we trade for a Sage Rosenfels etc? It seems the Cards organization is content to live off the fumes from that one SuperBowl run instead of trying to have a competent potential roster every year.

$5 says Claussen has a better stretch of games the next 3 weeks than Anderson does.

Time for a reality check.
There are three areas that need to be fixed (AND, THEY CAN’T BE!!!)
* O-LINE: It is average at best. DA is going to be in pieces shortly. And then we have two rookies.
* Defense: For XXX’s sake, Atlanta scored how many against the Steelers?
And, the Card’s defense was supposed to be a strength?
* QB: DA will not improve, no matter what Whiz says. And, NO, Max is not the answer!!!
I am not a bandwagon fan. However, say goodbye to the playoffs this year unless we sneak in by somehow winning the Division. I don’t care how easy the schedule is this year.
The drafts have been average, at best: Great picks e.g. Buster Davis, Ali HIghsmith, Roberts, etc. Why are we drafting some of these guys?

No, that doesn’t make sense to me. In fact, it sounds rather naive. There’s no way in hell one of the best coaches in the NFL would trade Michael Vick right now. I know he’s saying that he’s still going with Kolb as his starter, but Vick is still a viable back-up, and Kolb is still an unknown, so he may still have to fall back on Vick sometime down the road. Reid would not be giving him up for a 6th rounder, an offensive lineman, and Matt Leinart. Leinart does not fit their style of play, in my opinion.

Darren, in the past when the cardinals got blown out, you got the feeling that they were pissed off and were gonna come out the next week angry. are you getting that vibe? cuz i’m not… everyone seems to just be like “eh it’ll get better…”

Then you should have said, “‘Undrafted’ rookie quarterbacks never are (saviors). I wouldn’t have disputed that. You weren’t specific regarding the rookie’s past success (reflected by their draft status) and by doing so, you made a blanket statement that as I read it, you believe applies to all QBs. Just a nitpicky/detail thing. If I misunderstood you, I’m sure others did too.

I’m in no way trying to get Hall elected starting QB. As you mentioned, he doesn’t have the protection or defense that Flacco, Sanchez, and Ryan had and still have.

dre how bout john skelton for michael vick? i know getting vick would be controversial and the cardinals stay away from that kinda stuff, but man he would make this offense scary and these guys SB contenders just like that

I hope this organization Isn’t returning to its former persona where older players (Fancy, Porter) get signed on to finish up their careers in AZ. I watched Porter on replay and he just doesn’t have it anymore, no penetration in the backfield when he’s blitzng and he’s always at the tailend of every play. I thought Lenon would be decent but I think we got a Lemon instead. I believe we need to restructure our LBs.

People KEEP SAYING, Derrick Anderson went to the Pro Bowl…who cares?? David Tyree did something BETTER, and that was help his team win a Super Bowl and he isn’t playing ANYMORE! Derrick Anderson is GARBAGE, I do not care how many hits you can take, you can’t throw for anything. Whiz is a total hypocrite, I love the Cards to death but stop living in the past. If we are going to suck, we might as well have QB that might be able to learn to throw, not someone that has been there and done that, but yet still can not throw. Ken tried to pull another finding of a “Warner” but it isn’t going to happen with Derrick. NO WAY DOES Brandon Keith and Derrick Anderson give us the best chance of Winning like “In Whiz We Trust” says. I think I CAN BURN BRANDON KEITH AROUND THE CORNER!! LOL

If I didn’t answer (and I thought I answered one question about him, so maybe I just thought it was redundant) it’s because I didn’t see it. Lotta comments to sift through today.

I never said I thought the offense would be fine. I said Whisenhunt and the players say they will get it together. I wrote that you are probably writing off the season if you turn to Max Hall now. I never said I thought it’d be fine. No way to know that, and it can easily go either way.

As for the defense, I think there are plenty of questions there too. I suppose I have more questions about the offense, but that doesn’t mean I am sure about the D. As for a Davis/Leinart comparison, I have zero idea what that is supposed to mean.

I love this. Last year after the Colts stomped us everyone was calling for Leinart. The season was over and the Cards had no hope.

Game two this year and people are already selling their season tickets and hoping for a Mike Vick trade (really?). If Vick is unavailable, perhaps we can talk Indy into giving us Painter. If the Cards start looking for a QB, who is out there that they could get? Jamarcus Russel? Anything out there is guys who can’t get a job for a reason or below average backups or 3rd stringers.

Why we lost:
Penalties: The first quarter had 60 yrds in penalties not to mention the kick-off TD (it’s then 7-7 with an emotional spark). Talk about killing any momentum or even spirit in a game. And having a few that were non-existent builds that frustration.
Defense: Dockett put it best, “When no one tackles anyone could do what [Snelling] did. Even you [out-of-shape reporter]. (probably Paully Pigskin)
Offense: Anderson must, must, must learn to get rid of the ball. Ever team is going to blitz and blitz and blitz. Why? Because it works. When they stop blitzing ever play, the o-line will look better.

What will change? Until Anderson throws those quick passes successfully, the only thing we have to look forward to is to see if Beanie is a game changer that we hope and think he is. Until then, we have our best player at 75%, our 3rd WR is out and a gimpy RB. Offensively, we are dinged up. Let’s see how they play with all the weapons in and healthy.

I think the risk of a “grumpy” Leinart poisoning the locker room was probably too great to be worth keeping him. The other question is, if Matt were in that bad of a mood, would he even be able to prepare himself if he had to go in?

Remember the KW 5 interception game against Carolina last year. The season isn’t over folks. Offense is going to be fine with DA. Peyton Manning isn’t going to win many games when his defense gives up 47 points, which easily could have been over 50. Yes the O-line stinks, but DA is going to have to deal with it like KW did. The problem is defense and we’re just not going in the right direction and it’s not because of Rolle, Dansby or McMuffin.

But I shouldn’t have said that because that’s not what I mean. Sorry, if you are a rookie and you are plopped into a situation where you don’t have to carry the team, you aren’t a savior. You aren’t. Whiz talks about Big Ben … that season was all about making sure he didn’t have to do anything special. Same with Flacco. Same with Sanchez. Same with Ryan. You have to have the right team to win big, and in all those cases, I’m not sure they wouldn’t have won with other QBs. Hell, Big Ben wasn’t starting until Maddox got hurt. Flacco would have been behind Troy Smith.

All I know is that Whiz is the same coach who evaluated Leinart for 4 years (then cut him last minute) & has created multiple quarterback controversies where there wasn’t one, so who has confidence in him evaluating Hall & Skelton (or any QB for that matter!)…..I sure as heck don’t!! What’s even funnier is that Whiz has the arrogance & audacity to say that he made Warner a better quarterback (What does he smoke?)….Despite Warner not having as many games under his belt as other HOF QB’s, he still would’ve been considered for the HOF prior to coming here, & now he will be assured after taking the Cards to the super Bowl! The only thing that made Warner a better QB after arriving here was that he started to use gloves which helped him hold onto the ball & cut down on the fumbling, it was ABSOLUTELY nothing that Whiz did tutoring him! If you don’t believe that, just keep waiting for him to tutor DA into a more accurate passer (GOOD LUCK!)…Anything is possible, but my money is on DA going to the bench before he ever becomes more accurate!

See, you lose credibility in your argument because the gloves didn’t make Warner put two hands on the ball or move in the pocket more. That was the coaching staff that insisted upon that.

I understand being critical, and Whisenhunt I’m sure deserves some criticism. But it is laughable the number of people that seem to imply this team has won in spite of him. I’m all for passion, but sometimes, it borders on irrational.

Penalties are always troublesome but after a loss like this, aren’t they pretty much a non factor??? When you get torn up to the tune of 41-7, you weren’t doing ANYTHING well enough to be in the game to a point where penalties were a significant factor in the outcome. Try tackling or scoring some damn points and perhaps we can get to a point where penalties might be hurting us.

In regard to the pressure that Anderson has been under and the beating he is taking…I think it shows just how much teams HAD TO respect Warner and his ability to burn you if you came after him. After two weeks, I think we are seeing that we will get no such repsect until or unless Anderson shows that he can do the same. And we look like we’re a LOOOOONG way from that right now!

@TBru,
One thing you missed in the stats on Bulger is that he was hurt quite a bit during the last few years with the Rams & didn’t play much (Kinda like Kurt at the end of his Rams tenure) because the lambs O-line was so bad that it made our Cards O-line look all world…..Bulger was also the most sacked QB in the league during that period of time (Hence why he was hurt!), he is a 61% lifetime passer. When healthy & given time to throw the ball, Bulger is one of the more accurate passers out there….remember he was so good that he actually replaced Warner! They said that Warner was washed up after he got hurt, then the Rams traded him to the Giants where Warner did well even under an offensive scheme that wasn’t suited for him. Warner & Bulger’s playing style is very similar & their departure from the Rams is also very eerily similar!

For what it’s worth, I think the time to try to trade for Vick was during the off-season when the Eagles were praying that someone would take him off their hands! Right now? Forget it. He looks like the best QB the Eagles have this year and he might just be the future for them. The Eagles may have walked into a public relations nightmare by having Vick on their team this year AND having him show that he is better than Kolb. But there’s no way they can trade him now. This coming off-season, maybe, but his price tag will be significantly higher. In any case, forget Vick. He ain’t here this year and he ain’t gonna be here this year. At this point, we have who we have.

The coaching staff created a dumpster fire in the off season (changing the O line w/ over the hill Faneca, and work in progress Keith, and trading Wells). So what did our no nonsense fire captain Head Coach do? Well, took charge, blamed the MATT, and said well, the dumpster is only smoking but it’s the MATT that’s really on fire, (no intangibles or leadership), and went outside the house, took the MATT and WHIZZED on it,(brought in D.A. to start),
When that didn’t put the fire out he then had a FIRESALE to get rid of it,(looked to trade the MATT), and since he had no buyers, (no one would trade when they knew they could get the MATT cheaper after he was cut), he then threw it on the curb for some poor soul,( like the Texans),to scavenge.
Now that sounded great to everyone in the HOUSE of CARDS who drank the cool aid, and some are now realizing that the coolaid they are drinking is the same WHIZ that he used on the MATT!
What our no nonsense fire captain Head Coach did not forsee is that he had less control of this situation than he realized (the weather, in this case how the season would unfold w/ DA and 2 rooks as backups), and so far it’s looking like the outcome,will be that a lot of his own WHIZ WILL BE BLOWN BACK IN HIS FACE! (qb situation going from bad to worse by his own doing and because the oline not being fixed costing the team wins.)
Now fortunate for Coach, the day (season) is not over yet and he still has a lot of day light left to clean it all up. I hope it is as this HOUSE of CARDS was the jewel of the neighborhood ,(NFC West), not very long ago.
As for me I am no longer going to be a part of this HOUSE of CARDS, as I can’t believe that the owners and those that have oversight are either actively involved or passively allowing this to happen. I thought with all the investing and sprucing up the house received in the last few years, it would be maintained well going forward.
Hope I’m wrong, but for now SEAHAGS HERE I COME, but I will be back when this coach is gone! Even if his motives and rationele were right, this was absolutely the wrong way to go about it!
Peace.

-Darren
You are correct on the 2 hands..My apologies! But Warner has stated many of time that the gloves were a big part on him being able to hold onto & throw the ball. As for the moving in the pocket, Warner didn’t do anything different from his time with the Rams to his tenure with the Cards. Do you really think the 2 hands on the ball help Whiz gave Warner will translate into Anderson being a more accurate passer?? Does it change how he evaluated Leinart & the QB issues since he’s been here?? So I’m not sure how my over looking Whiz having Warner put 2 hands on the ball took away credibility from the rest of my point made above, but oh well I do respect what you have to say.

It’s true the season isn’t over but trying to draw a parallel between last season’s loss to the Colts in week 2 and yesterday just isn’t valid. Last season we had a HOF QB just for starters, this year we have a cast off from the Browns and 2 rookies behind him. Anderson has never been an accurate passer and he still isn’t. With that said there is enough blame to go around for yesterday, we absolutely stunk it up.

In terms of doing things the same as when he was with the Rams moving around, that’s not my understanding.

I have no idea if Whisenhunt can transform DA. Maybe not. But the thrust of your original argument was basically — or correct me if I am wrong — that Whiz had little to do with the team winning the last couple of years and that he isn’t a very good coach. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Everyone got what they wanted…why the crying now? Man up and take your choices with grace and support the players we have. Whisenhunt got rid of the QB he barely spoke to in four years (this is a FACT), and now he has his dream team in place. Funny Darren you should say that Matt had the potential to poison the locker room…that would be a first for Matt at any level he has ever played in. But, he’s gone and Matt was far from the loser in all this. Go Cardinals!

I certainly don’t want to sit and debate this. But unless you are friends with Leinart, you have no idea what went on. If you are friends, then you got one side of a story that we all know has three sides — Leinart’s side, Whiz’s side and the truth, which will be somewhere in between.

It may have been a first for Leinart to have that potential. But it was also a first where Matt was sitting when he didn’t think he should be sitting (and no, backing up Warner didn’t count, because even Matt knew he’d be wrong to think he should be ahead of Kurt).

DA stinks. and i really question some of the play calling running on 3rd and long so many times in the first half. If were in a rebuilding phase lets least try the young QBs out. The boldin trade was one of the worst decisions in a long time followed by bringing DA in. i would like to know if were rebuilding here.

Players talk Darren..all over the league. In Whisenhunt you and other Cardinals fans may trust, but even a good coach can make bad choices and completely blow how they handle a situation. Again, players talk to players, and former Cardinals have spoken to SC players in the NFL. They’re in almost every team in the NFL. FACT, Whisenhunt from day one didn’t like Matt, and he has been brutal in some of their interactions. Ultimately, Matt will end the winner.

Again..for years all that has been heard is one side. Matt pretty much just kept his mouth shut and did what he was told. Again, other players have spoken. I trust what a few key people in the league have said over what you, Darren or anyone in the Cardinals FO say. One of the worst handling of a QB situation ever, stupid in the timing – to get nothing for a top 10 pick, and simply hanging on to a player who had to have been the wrong fit from day one. I and others don’t buy the ‘all of a sudden we have a loser’ turn around. Evidently, you didn’t know what was going on either Darren.

Never said I did. But judging by your allegiances, I am guessing your sources have a USC tint to them. I think that should be taken into account. And if the Cards really like Max Hall and Skelton, which they do, that factored in the timing. I can say at the beginning of camp they wanted to keep Hall under wraps because they were going to put him on the practice squad. Things change. I don’t think it was “all of a sudden we have a loser.” I do think it was “all of a sudden, he’s going to back up and not start and he can’t handle that role now because he’s ticked.”

And you didn’t answer the question about Matt’s role in all this, if anything.

You know thats the problem with people…always making thing difficult. I didn’t say a 6th rounder, a linemen and Matt Leinart. I said we traded Reggie Well to Philly for a 6th rounder. Micheal Vick signed a two year deal and he will not be anyones back up next year. So the probability is there…Matt Leinart was picked up two day after being cut so that proves he had value and teams would have considered him as as a back-up.

And how long do you think Andy Reid wants to have press conferences with almost all the question around Mick Vick being a starter for Philly. They needed line help giving away a linemen last year and a decent qb as backup and we need a good qb who has a winning back ground to take us to the next level. If the decision was up to me, I would have included Reggie Wells, Matt Leinart and thrown in a 3rd or 4th rd pick to make it a quility offered…one where it was hard to turn down. There’s a way we could have made that deal happen.

His age is prefect for the team and he has at least 4 to 5 good years in him. And there isn’t a salary cap this year…get outta here, no excuse in the world not to make that move if you enjoy winning football games.

Just a thought on this qb topic between you and fighton. Leinart was brought here by D Green and Whisenhunt brought in a different offense but he kept the passing attack as the initial weapon of choice. In ’05 we were the #1 passing offese in the league under D. Green…maybe Leinart didn’t get what he signed up for and was judge badly for not pleasing Whisenhut ways.

Whisenhut srcewed up so let him face the jury….when you make your bed you got to lay down in your mess. Or just admit I messed up

How about we wait to see if Leinart is successful somewhere before we proclaim Leinart screwed or Whisenhunt wrong? You may be right, but you don’t know that. Leinart is a third-string quarterback right now.

You crack me up. In one breath you rip Whiz for not keeping Leinart around, even though Whiz was concerned he’d be a distraction. Then you turn around and insist Reid would want to dump Vick because the questions would be a distraction, and that alone would make him want to dump Vick.

I read each and every post here. I agree with your comments and rebuttles. Cards have a real shot at the division. SF is weak at QB so they will not be dominant. I have Directv but as a single father cannot afford NFL Sunday ticket so I did not see the game yesterday. Reading the artcles and seeing some replays, the Cards as a whole did not play well at all. None of this concerns me much as it is early in the season. What does concern me is the carefree attitude after the game in the locker room (if the reports are accurate). The Cards have several rookies on the team and my question is that if they are part of a teams bad play and then see the veterans appear to not care afterwards, isn’t that detrimental to their progress? Not sure what really went on in the locker room after the game but as you said earlier, 3 sides to every story with each having some truth in their side. Your thoughts on this will be interesting. Thanks for your time Darren.

We get to watch Derek Anderson playing lousy football on Sunday…and we get to watch Kurt Warner on Dancing With The Stars on Monday night INSTEAD OF still playing as one of the top 10 QB’s in the league for the Cardinals….I seriously doubt that anything has ever sucked more than this. Life is crap.

Well, if we’re actually talking about deals before the season began, I still don’t think it would’ve been done because no one was even really thinking seriously about it. Wanna know why? Because by the time Michael Vick actually started to impress, the questions were there about Kolb! No way Andy let’s him go! Sure, we prolly coulda’ put up a huge offer to grab, but how much would we really be wiling to give on up on a guy that doesn’t even really fit our system? In hindsight, seeing our offensive line struggles, Vick would be an excellent choice right now. But in fully expecting a decent front (which we were at the time), I think you gotta stick with your current weapons in Fitz, Breaston, Doucet (at the time), Hightower, and Wells.

It’s easy to look back and say “coulda’, woulda’, shoulda”. But if that were the case, we shoulda’ went all out and picked up Kurt Warner in the beginning of his career, before anyone even expected anything great out of him.

just wondering by any chance might have Kurt left or dropped any gloves around the locker room that DA could try , might help , or may be just help him get the ball closer to the receivers maybe a yard or two instead of six seven ten yards away

DU keep up the great work !!!!!

don’r really expect a comment , just aleast a smile for you after what you have gone thru this week answering this crap we write , after all the guys laughing in the showers !!!!

The Mike Vick talks are very enticing, im definately not against vick in a cardinal #7 jersey, but im still with DA for right now. The o-line has to pass protect better for DA. DA had a bad game though, but every card pretty much played bad. Hightower was the only card that balled, breaking a beautifully blocked 80 yard td run and hightower definately has breakaway speed PERIOD! DA and Fitz had much better chemistry and ended up with 7 catches and 83 yards. DA can’t miss that wide open seam route to Ben Patrick even if the pass rush is bearing down, especially when its wide open. O-Line in the first 2 games has run blocked well, but pass protection has to be better. Levi has to start shutting down or containing the elite pass rushers in the league, he’s a 5th overall pick. The line as a whole pass blocking wise has to get much better. Our defense didn’t play well at all. We are usually solid against the run, but not yesterday. We didn’t get enough pressure on matt ryan either. Calls were questionable at best though. Both of DRC’s penalties were bad calls and iwebema holding on the other side of the field c’mon refs but holding is holding. We have to play better against oakland overall and beat them up. I do like the vick talks though, because the eagles are set on starting kolb no matter what so we need to take advantage of their stupidity and trade for vick but lets wait I still believe in DA.

It seems to me that most of you “fans” have never played an organized sport, or maybe you were just lucky enough to have never suffered a humiliating defeat by an inferior team. I for one have been in that situation and can clearly recall laughing afterward about how bad we got our butts kicked, it relieves tension and promotes team unity. Every good team gets beat up once in awhile, IE: Colts/Texans week 1. I support our team, our coach and our QB. I would hate to see Vick here, I never liked Leinart, I believe “the same old Cards” are gone for good and I think all you whiners should go dig your Cowboys jerseys out of your closets cause we didn’t need you four years ago and we don’t need you now.

i’m back – to reiterate that stone faced Mr. Wiz kid – made his bed and now he can sleep in it or talk his way out of it. Only wish the best for Leinert to prove this Coach doesn’t have a clue and put his pride and ego before the good of the team or a player’s career. Again, all he had to do was let leinert go the end of last year. YOU GO IN TO CAMP KNOWING WHO YOUR STARTER IS RATHER THAN PLAYING HEAD GAMES WITH YOUR ASSUMMED STARTER

For the record, I brought up a question of going after a Mike Vick during the off season and your response was he had to much baggage. Yeah the guy made some mistakes but he dealt with those mistakes.

Like I said many time now, I would of went with Matt going into the reagular season. I would of gave him 6 games and as long as we were at .500 or a game under, he would keep the start through out the season. If he would of went two games under .500 thats when I would of pulled him and went with the best option to win games on a week by week basis…at the end of the day that is what it is all about.

And yes. if there was a chance to get Mick Vick to Arizona, I would of pulled that trigger quickly and if that included trading Matt…all I got to say is here’s your ticket to Philly, Good Luck.

Thats where Whisenhut made his mistake. After being we Matt for three year he know what he had. During the offseason there were many different way we could of went but he decided to keep moving forward with Matt.

The second mistake when he gave Matt the short leash and yanked him after two preseason games. Thats when all the mess got started. Like I said above we should of went with Matt going into the regular season.

His third mistake and the worst of them all was to cut Matt not getting anything for him. As we all saw Matt was pick up a 1 day after, proving he had value.

And finally getting stuck with DA with no other realistic options at QB. You and I both know that 2 rookies backing him up is the worst situation to have.

Oh I agree with that sentiment, but when a passing game can’t effectively move the chains, I would hope the rushing game could. An 80 yarder moves the chains once, and I literally mean once when you factor in the number of 80 yarders you expect to get, I.e Tim isn’t (probably) going to regularly run that distance. Perhaps it’s a matter of preference lol I would prefer 20 x 4 yard runs. That would be my measure of consistency.

P.S I like Tim – perhaps it’s just me approaching football in the wrong manner.

P.S.P.S I don’t think it’s fair to extrapolate that arguement and apply it to the defense given the goals are polar opposites – Offense – moving the sticks….Defense – Preventing said move. I was critizing Hightower for failing to move sticks, not for not having a good game. Again that is possibly a preference of what I consider – effective – to mean, and again I’m probably wrong.

It is what it is and rather than spend so much energy complaining maybe we should channel some of that into moving forward. I would hate to see Michael Vick in Phoenix; just what we need one more felon and an entitled one at that.
Even if we don’t win the division we can use this year to reassess and come out swinging next year. It’s only week 3, we’ve had players out that are on the mend so lets get behind this team. It’s what we have to work with and it’s not like we haven’t had humiliating games in the not so distant pass. It’s a choice; correct and move on or sit around and whine about what-ifs that never will be.

Screw Mike Vick and his dog killin brain that would have never stopped unless he were caught. How do you root for that?? We got blown out by a good team in their home opener. The Falcons COULD NOT go down 0-2 in the NFC south with the saints. Jesus idiots, stop whining about what should be done after 2 games when you don’t no s**t about pro football operations and just do your job as fan (if you are one) and root for the team to win games. Know your role and shut the hell up. I drove 7 hours to watch that game and didn’t have these immature reactions. Clock in at UPS pack your boxes and let whiz and graves do their jobs. Go Cardinals.

hey drey – you make a lot of sense.the coach deserves to takes a hit regardless of what anderson does at qb. and even at that he is one injury away from a free agent rookie.c’mon. Plus a screw job to Matt for making him sign on as a third stringer because every other teams roster was close to set for their starter and back up after the last preseason game.

Yoshi-
You are one immature person. Mike Vick paid the price, he lost alot and he’s on the road to getting it back. He went to jail for 21 months in leavenworth prison and after he served that time goodell still gave him a 4 game suspension. Get over it and forgive the man. Would love to see him in a #7 cardinal jersey, he is old vick with the eagles and an even better passer, he’s playing at as high a level as any qb right now or player for that matter.